100,000 children adopted overseas

08:17, July 05, 2012

More than 100,000 Chinese-born orphans and children with physical disabilities have been adopted by overseas parents over the last 30 years, a government official said Wednesday.

China has adoption agreements with 138 government bodies and children's organizations in 17 countries.

Overseas adoptions have become an important channel to find homes for orphaned and disabled children, said Minister of Civil Affairs Li Liguo at a ceremony held for 130 US families and 200 adopted children who returned to China to "seek their roots."

Most of the 200 children who attended the ceremony were adopted from children's welfare centers in the city of Chongqing and the provinces of Guangdong, Hunan, Anhui and Fujian.

The students will visit Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Guilin with their parents during their 10-day visit, which is being financed by the central government in a bid to encourage more adopted children to return to China and familiarize themselves with their birthplace.